New Testament Unit 4

This unit is designed to bring students face to face with the Commission of Jesus to His disciples, and walk them through the work of the Holy Spirit to follow up and ensure that the Great Commission is fulfilled. Youth will explore the beginnings of the church, and see how the mission statement of Christ was lived out by the first believers. They will hear the call of Christ to their own lives as they study the mission statement Jesus gave them. They will witness the arrival and work of the Holy Spirit, the life changing call of the first Christian missionary, Paul, and the challenge to Peter to drop prejudice and open up to God's new ways.

Lesson 37: Great Commission--Jesus commissioned His disciples to make other disciples by sharing the good news of what He taught and did to bring us into right relationship with God. (Matthew 28:16-20)

Lesson 38: Pentecost, The Holy Spirit, and the Birth of the Church--God gives the Holy Spirit to all Christians, thereby uniting them as members of the universal Church and empowering them to be His witnesses in the world. (Acts 1:1-8; 2:1-18)

Lesson 39: Saul's Conversion and Call--Saul of Tarsus was committed to destroying the rapidly growing Early Church. But God radically changed Saul. Saul then became known as Paul and committed the rest of his life to living for Christ and preaching the gospel among the pagan Gentiles. (Acts 9:1-19 [2 Corinthians 11:24-28; Philippians 3:4b-11])

Lesson 40: Peter and Cornelius--When the Holy Spirit came on Cornelius and his household, Peter recognized that God accepts all people and that the church includes people of all nationalities, races, and ethnic backgrounds. (Acts 10:1--11:18)